Rotary explosive engine



Dec, 25, 1923. 1,478,378'

7 J. A. BROWN ROTARY EXPLOS IVE ENGINE Filed May 6, 1919 4 Sheets-Sheet .1-

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Dec. 25 1923.

J. A. BROWN ROTARY EXPLOSIVE ENGINE Filed May 6 1919 4 Sweets-Sheet 2 314mm to: aid/7266 firwwiz Wane 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 lvwemtoz Dec. 25 1923.

J. A. BROWN ROTARY EXPLOSIVE ENGINE Filed May e, 1919 A A h A IIAW z z. z. w 1

J. A. BROWN ROTARY EXPLOSIVE ENGINE Dec. 25. 1923.

Filed May 6, 1919 4 Sheets-Sheet Swuaukoz Patented Dec. 25, 1923.

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JAMES ALDM BROWN, OF BOSTON, MCHUSETTS.

ROTARY EXPLOSIVE ENGINE.

' Application filed May 6, 1919. Serial No. 295,234.-

' To all whom it may concern:

embodiment of the invention.

Be it known that I, J AMES ALDEN BROWN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Boston, in the county of Essex and State of Massachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements in Rotary Explosive Engines, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to improvements in explosive or internal combustion engines and it relates more particularly to explosive or internal combustion engines of the rotary type wherein the. explosions act directly on pistons traveling in a circular path to propel or drive a shaft or driven member which carries the pistons. The primary object of the invention is to provide a simplified and improved engine of this type whereby the engine may be manufactured with facility, it may be constructed readily of different capacities by using an appropriate number of units, the explosive charges of fuel are handled in a novel way whereby the force of the explosions is exerted most efiiciently upon the pistons, and the moving parts of the engine are operated in a simple and positive manner. A further object of the invention is to provide an engine of the type referred to in which the exhaust gases resulting from the explosions are muflled efficiently within the engine, avoiding appreciable back pressure upon the engine, and rendering it unnecessary to provide a separate muffler and piping to connect it to the engine.

To these and other ends the invention consists in certain combinations and arrangements of parts all as will be hereinafter more fully described, the features of novelty being pointed out particularly in the claim at the end of the specification.

In the drawings- Fig. 1 represents a section taken trans versely through a rotary explosive engine constructed in accordance with the preferred Fig. 2 represents a top plan view of the engine as shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 represents a. section through the engine.

Fig. 4 represents on an enlarged scale a partial section taken axially through the engine to indicate the relative timing of the different rotors and illustratin the interior construction of the engine whic elfectsmuffling of the exhaust gases.

taken axially Figs. 5 and 6 are fragmentary detail views showing one of the pistons and its co-operating abutment block, being shown in different relative positions in the two views.

Fig. 7 is a detail perspective view of one of the pistons and its supporting arm, and

Fig. 8 is a diagrammatic View showing the electrical connections and contacts constituting the ignition means for one of the units.

Fig. 9 is a view showing in detail the operation by which the charge is admitted to the explosion chamber and also the ignition contacts for exploding such charge.

Similar parts are-represented by the same reference characters in the several views.

Rotary'internal combustion engines embodying the present invention are suitable for use in aeroplanes, automobiles,'boats or ships, and an other instances where power is desired. he preferred embodiment of the invention as shown in the accom anying drawings will be hereafter described in detail. It is'to be understood, however, that the invention is not restricted to the recise construction shown, as equlva ent structures are contemplated and will be included Within the scope of the claim.

According to one feature of the present invention, the engine comprises any suitable number of similar units, the number of units employed depending upon the power which the engine should develop. These units are similar in construction and hence the number of units may be increased or diminished with facility and the manufacture of the engine simplified. In'the construction shown, the engine comprisesa shaft 1 which may be straight and adapted to be connected by any suitable means to the part or parts to be driven. -The engine also comprises a pair of end members or heads 2 and 3 in which the shaft 1 is journaled by roller or other suitable bearings. Each head preferably has a continuous rim 2 or 3, a central hub 2" or 3* to support the shaft bearings and the portions of the heads between the hubs and the rims are provided with vo enings 2 and 3, these openings being provided for a purpose which will hereinafter appear. The power units of the engine are contained between the end members or the heads 2 and 3. As shown, five power units are employed, but it is to be understood that the number-of power units may be increased or diminished according to the power to be developed by the engine. Each power unit comprises a rotor 4 which carries the pistons nel around which it travels and each piston is also preferably circular in cross section. Also packing rings 8 ma be fitted toeach piston to insure a fluid tight tit of the pis ton within the race way or channel in which it travels. The forward end of each piston is formed with a bevel or other cam face 9 for a pur ose which will hereinafter be described. egmental flanges 10 project laterally from opposite sides of the piston at or adjacent to its base and a ledge or extension 11 projects rearwardly from the rear end of the piston and serves a purpose whichwill be hereinafter described. The rear face 12 of the piston has a slope or incline as shown for a purpose to be hereinafter described. The elements making up the casing for the engine provide the race ways or channels13 around which the pistons of the respective rotors travel. Each of these race ways or channels is circular and concentric with the shaft 1 and it is also substantially circular in cross section to receive a correspondingly formed iston. Annular grooves 14 concentric with t e shaft are also formed adjacent to the race ways or channels 13 to receive the laterally projecting segmental flanges 10 for the respective pistons and con tinuous open slots 15 are formed between the race ways or channels 13 and the interior of the engine for a urpose to be hereinafter described. Prefera ly, and as shown, the race waysor channels 13, the grooves 14, and the slots 15 are formed between complemental elements of the engine casing. The end members or heads 2 and 3 form respectively one-half of the end race ways 13, one of the adjacent grooves 14 and the respective slots 15. The intermediate race ,ways and the adjacent grooves and slots are formed between complemental casin units 16, each casing unit having a hal of aprace way formed on each of its opposite faces, together with oneof the grooves 14 and a half of each slot 15. These intermediate casing units and also the end members or heads may be cast andmachined withfacility and they are assembled on the shaft; and secured together in any suitable way. As shown, the end members or heads and the intermediate memhers ofjthe casing: are' formed with lugs 17 arrears ring simultaneously at each quarter revolu- I tion of each rotor. To accomplish this result a set of four chambers 19 spaced equidistantly ina circumferential direction is provided for each rotor. Each of these chambers extends inwardly to intercept the race way or channel 13v and receive an abutment block 20. for each of these chambers. Preferably and as shown each block is slidable in its respective chamber whereby they may .move out of the race way or channel 13, they then being out of the path of the piston and also each block may move inwardly to a position where it will close the race way or channel 13 behind a piston. As shown, a dove-tail groove 21 is formed in one wall of the chamber to slidingly receive a dove-tail rib 22 on the adjacent wall of the block, thus guiding the block in its reciprocating movements within the chamber. The wall of the block opposite to the rib 22 is enlarged as shown and it has a fluid tight fit against a boss 23 on the casing. This boss on the casing is formed with a fuel admission port 25 which is open tothe wall 24, against which the block 20 fits and the block 20 is formed with an interior chamber 26 which registers with the fuel admission port 25 when the block is in its outer position whereby the chamber 26 will receive a charge of hydrocarbon or other suitable explosive fuel and when the block 20 moves' to itsinner position the port 25 will be covered and closed by the part 27 of the block and the chamber 26 inthe block will be brought into position behind one of the pistons. According to the present invention each'block 20 is moved automatically out of the path of an approaching piston and it is moved into a position immediately behind such piston by a motion derived directly from each piston. As shown, each block 20 is operatively connected by a link 28 to the long arm 29 of a bell crank lever 30, the latter being pivoted at31 in the boss 23 and provided with an arm or heel 32. The shape and relative dimensions of the .twoarms of the lever 30 aresuch that the arm or heel 32 will project ,intothe pathlof an approach.- ing piston and will be engaged by the bevel or cam face 9 thereon, this bevel or cam face acting to rock the lever 30 and to shift the block 20 into a position behind such piston immediately after the-latter has passed the fu l inmate -concaved as at 33 in order to provide a good contact between its parts. Also the opposite inner corner of the block is preferably concaved as at 34 to insure proper clearance between this corner f the block and the outer rear edge of the piston. The action just described occurs simultaneously with each block of the respective units and the operation is repeated at each quarter revoluti'on of the shaft. Suitable means is provided for igniting the charge of explosive.

fuel in the chamber 26 of each block during the movement of the respective block to its position in rear of the corresponding piston. For example, a pair of contacts 35 may be fitted in and insulated from the wall of the boss 23 against which the block fits and the block may carry a contact bar 36 adapted to' wipe over and bridge the stationary contacts 35. The contacts 35 for, each block may be connected to the two sides 37 and 38 of an ignition circuit supplied With current from .a battery 39, as shown diagrammatically in Fig. 8, the contact bar 36 during the inner movement of the respective block first bridging these contacts 35 to close the ignition circuitand as the block approaches its innermost position the bar 36 will pass from the contacts 35, thus breaking the ignition circuit and producing a spark which will ignite the explosive charge contained in the chamber 26. It will be understood that any other suitable ignition means may be provided, although it is preferable to control the ignition from the abutment blocks as such an arrangement avoids the necessity of employing separate ignition timers. Assum- 'ing that an explosion has occurred behind each piston, as shown in Fig. 1, the force of suchexplosion will be exerted against the IESPQClZl G pistons, driving such pistons in an anti-clockwise direction in said figure. During the period that the exploded charges are acting against the respective pistons, the escape of the gases rearwardly is prevented by the respective block which closes the piston race way or channel andescape of the exploded gas to the interior of the casing 4 through the slot is prevented by the extension 11 which projects rearwardly from the respective iston and closes the slot 15 transversely. he inner end of the block fits against this rearward extension 11 in rear of the respective piston when .the block is in its inner position. When, however, the position has been advanced to a given point, the rear end of the extension 11 will reach and move forward from the forward edge of the abutment block and communication will thus be established between the space in rear of the piston and the interior space of the engine through the slot 15 and the exhaust. of the exploded gases then takes place, the exploded gases being exhausted into the space surrounding the shaft.

It is to be understood that the explosive motive fluid is supplied to the ports 25, these ports for the respective units and'abutment blocks being lapped and thus closed by the outer or plain portions of the abutment blocks when the latter are in their innermost positions, and these ports will communicate with the pockets in the respective abutment blocks when the latter are removed to their outermost positions, thus causing the explosive motive fluid to enter the chargereceiving pockets in the abutment blocks, as will be understood from Fig. 9. It will also be understood that in the ignition arrangement herein shown and which is illustrated particularly in Fig. 9, the movable contact 36 carried by each abutmentblock wipes over the stationary contacts when the respective abutment block is moving inwardly, thus breaking the ignition circuit and cansing ignition of the explosive char e in the pocket of the respective abutment block.

The explosive fuel used may be hydrocarbon fuel similar to that used enerally in internal combustion engines. This fuel may be passed through a carburetor, then compressed to a suitable pressure, say 200 pounds to the square inch, by a suitable compressor, and then conducted to the engine throu h a pipe 40. The fuel may be conducted to the respective units of the engine from a manifold 41 from which extend headers 42,. individual branch pipes 43 extending from the headers to the fuel suppl ports 25 for the respective abutment bloc s. Throttling of the engine may be accomplished in any suitable way, as for example, by controlling the pressure or the amount of the fuel supplied to the engine and in using a larger engine embodying multiple numbers of units, one or more of such units may be cut ofi from the supply of fuel where reduced loads are carried by the engine.

In order to increase the number of impulses imparted to the shaft during each revolution thereof, the different rotors are preferably so keyed to the shaft that the pistons of the different rotors are staggered. For instance, as shown in the present instance, five rotors are employed and the shaft will be constant or substantlally so.

A feature of the present invention consists in mufiiing the exhaust gases in a novel way. 1 The exploded gases after acting upon the pistons are exhausted through the slots 15 into the space surrounding the shaft. The

arms or spokes 6 of the rotors are of propeller like form and have a helical pitch, as shown in Fig. 4, the intermediate units '16 of the engine casing also have inwardly extending spokes 44 which also have apropeller like form and helical pitch, their pitch being in the reverse direction to the direction of the pitch of the arms or spokes 6. In consequence, the charges of exhaust gases projected into the space surrounding the shaft will be broken up and propelled axially along the shaft, the exhaust gases being thereby silenced or muffled and they "are expelled throughy the openings in one of the heads of the casing, cooling air being at the same time drawn into the space around the shaft through the openings in the opposite head of the casing, thus'ventilating and cooling the engine.

,What is claimed is A rotary explosive engine comprising a casing having explosion chambers therein and having an inner chamber to receive the exhaust from the explosion chambers, rotors carrying pistons operative in said explosion chambers, the rotors having propeller-like arms revoluble in said inner chamber, and stationary propeller-shaped arms located between the rotors.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses. p

J AMES ALDEN BROWN. Witnesses:

Lomne S. HEMENWAY, HERBERT L. HEMENWAY. 

